Diane has been exploring Paris, and, of course, exploring the fabric scene there as well. Here’s a taste of what a quilter can find in France’s City of Lights …
My husband thought we were going to Sacre-Coeur for the afternoon. We did walk around, and I did a sketch — but my main goal was to hit the fabric stores that are right near the bottom of the steps.
The Sugar Pine Company can be found in the scenic Rocky Mountain town of Canmore, Alberta, just a short drive from Banff. Alcoves, shelves and walls are packed with material, quilts, fabric packs and all manner of quilting inspiration, beautifully displayed. There was lots to explore around every corner. It is a sewing and knitting shop as well. Continue reading “More Quilt Stories from the Road”
music: Santa Fe by Ottmar Liebert
From Moira …
Santa Fe Quilting, Santa Fe, New Mexico
The Santa Fe Quilting shop was very large. It took a bit of time to explore all the shop as it had three rooms.
An employee wearing a quilted garment.
The shop’s Block of the Month quilt, done in the Southwest colours you would expect in New Mexico.
The Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, a Pueblo Revival-style constructed in 1917.
St. Francis Cathedral, which is Santa Fe’s grandest and probably most photographed structure.
Taos Adobe Quilting in Taos, New Mexico, is tucked away on a little lane behind the Taos Plaza.
This is a smaller store, crammed full of fabrics, patterns and notions.
Hard-to-resist fabrics!
Utah scenery
The Arches National Park just outside Moab, Utah. The pictures don’t do it justice. It is bigger than big.
My Girlfriend’s Quilt Shoppe, in Midway, Utah.
A lovely quilt shop … and, of course, I found some more fabric I couldn’t live without.
(header photo: Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico)
Diane sends us this message from Chula Vista, California.
“Just sending photos of some outdoor quilting I’ve been working on. Two lazy days work produced 4 qayg (quilt as you go) quilt squares. Looking forward to going to Rosie’s Quilt Shop next week in San Diego. I met another quilter in the park who belongs to Willow Woods Quilt Guild. She said the place is amazing.”
Diane sends us this quilty note from Whakatane on the North Island of New Zealand, where she is presumably soaking up some sunshine. For Vancouverites currently dealing with the grey skies and rainy deluges of this fall season, yes, there is still sunlight somewhere.
“Whakatane Quilt Shop – Pins to Patches
“I was so excited to see this store on our walk late Saturday night. On Sunday morning we went there and of course being a small town it was closed on Sundays. Looked in the window and saw the price for name brand material and figured it was just as well it was closed.”
header image: http://www.whakatane.com/whakatane
This month my husband and I explored a bit of central B.C. Besides enjoying the mountains, ranch lands, canyons, lakes and waterfalls, I managed to do a bit of quilt spotting. That’s my department.
Dancing Quilts In 100 Mile House I visited a quilt shop called Dancing Quilts. There were lovely quilts on the walls, lots of bags on display, popular with customers, and tempting fabric. Faith, the owner, and her staff were very welcoming. There are several guilds in the area, and I can imagine quilt making being an enjoyable activity during the cold and snowy Cariboo winter.
This quilt-as-you-go quilt was made by Faith and is one of her most popular classes.
Barkerville We visited the historic town of Barkerville, in the mountains east of Quesnel. In 1862 Billy Barker struck gold there, setting off a massive gold rush. The town had 2,000 residents at one point. Barkerville today is a living history museum with old wooden buildings full of artifacts and street performers bringing the past to life again.
Quilts and old sewing machines were in some of the buildings.
In a small museum devoted to the arts, crafts and tools of Barkerville residents, I read the following:
“Sewing circles and quilting bees played important roles in the community. They allowed busy women to meet socially and produce useful articles. These get-togethers provided opportunities for women to plan weddings and other events, to exchange news of births, deaths and marriages; to learn about fashion trends; to share successes and problems; and to discuss community issues.
The handicrafts that have been created through women’s meticulous labour, though never fully appreciated in the past, are slowly being recognized as works of art.”
When the sun set behind the hills around the town and the air chilled, it was easy to imagine that the residents of old time Barkerville would have valued a cozy quilt.
The Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge In the town of Chase we learned about a donkey refuge in the area. The Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge is a haven for abused, neglected and abandoned donkeys where they can live out their lives in a caring and protective environment.
Nineteen years ago, Rob and Shirley became the owners of their first two donkeys. Today, the refuge they built is home to more than 100 donkeys. A small team of people care for the animals and are working hard to make the refuge sustainable into the future through various fund-raising endeavours.
In the Donkey Shoppe, I spied some quilted items for sale and learned that they had been donated by a North Vancouver quilter and a local quilt guild.
Thank you for the hot tea, Shirley, and to you and Rob for all the interesting and moving stories about the donkeys that live at the Turtle Valley Donkey Refuge.
Judy Farrow is a textile artist who lives in Parksville, B.C.
She lived for many years in the Northwest Territories (now called Nunavut), in Iqaluit on Baffin Island and in Yellowknife. She worked as a teacher and researcher and travelled extensively in the Canadian North with her husband. Her fabric art captures beautiful images of the wildlife, landscapes, and light in that part of the world.
Judy was active as a quilter and teacher with the Yellowknife Guild of Arts and Crafts and the Yellowknife Quilters. Continue reading “Judy Farrow, Textile Artist”
Moira S. visited a quilt shop and attended a quilt show in Sitka, Alaska recently, when she was returning from Japan on a cruise ship. Sitka is a city of about 9,000 people located on Baranof Island on the outer coast of Alaska’s panhandle.
With some time ashore, Moira discovered the Ocean Waves Quilt Guild Annual Show in the Harrigan Centennial Hall, which is located right where tourists get off the tender from the ship. She also visited an excellent quilt shop in Sitka called Abby’s Reflection Apparel & Quiltworks.
What a lovely opportunity to learn about another quilting community. Thanks for this story and the photos, Moira.
In the small coastal town of Carpinteria, California, south of Santa Barbara, is a quilt shop you won’t want to miss if you are in the area. Step through the periwinkle-coloured doors into Roxanne’s world of colour and imaginative displays and you won’t want to leave.
Visit this inspiring quilt shop online at http://www.roxannequilts.com/.
Happy New Year and Welcome to the new executive and committee members.
The program was in two parts.
Someone mentioned that a picture of our Hugs Across the Nation quilt for Quilts of Valour is in today’s North Shore News so I found it and here it is:
Seymour Quilters Guild 